White House Farm - The Bamber Murders. Jan 8th ITV 9pm

Really looking forward to it too.

I think it’s tasteless, to be honest . those poor wee boys murdered in their beds, and Bamber still saying he is innocent

I bet the writers haven’t spoken to their father about this.

I was fascinated with this at the time and have followed the story
I will be watching

Oh I'll be watching, thanks for the heads up!

I've always found this case intriguing. I doubt if we'll end up any the wiser as to whether JB did it or not, though.

The facts are way more fascinating than the papers revealed at the time, hope ITV gets some of them at least in.

Far from being helpless Bambi, the doe-eyed model mother of two, Sheila (the sis Bamber blamed it on) had only just come out of hospital for symptoms of, among other things, thinking her children were the incarnation of evil. She was a drug user as well as schizophrenic.

Sheila's little boys had been discreetly removed from their mother some time ago. They were largely brought up by their father. They were on a contact visit to her and the grandparents when they were murdered, tragically.

Sheila wasn't at all well, and although mental patients are way less violent than the rest of us, her marriage had broken up after she was violent to her husband. She was still using drugs.

Mrs Bamber, the mother, was a Bible obsessive who'd also had hospital treatment for religious mania.

The Father, successful (ie inherited money) Nevill Bamber, financed a flat and allsorts for Sheila but made his son, Jeremy, work for minimum wage on the farm. He'd previously removed Jeremy from private school for failing exams. Sheila's party lifestyle was financed to the hilt.

No wonder Jeremy said he loathed them.

I think J did it, no one else could have done, but what the papers don't tell you is how awful the family were. He and Sheila were adopted, so no extended family either. He didn't have a single decent relation - no wonder the money appealed.

@CoolCarrie yep, the writers have consulted with Mr Cafell. He reckons J did it.

It's based on Carol Anne Lee's book who also acted as a consultant for the drama.

It’s worth listening to this weeks RedHanded podcast, sounds like the children’s father was consulted about this drama. IMO Jeremy is guilty.

Sheila was not on drugs except what she was prescribed.

The write up on the link makes it clear that the father of the children (Sheila's husband) was consulted and had input into the drama.

Oh, it's a drama? I thought it would be a documentary. I'll still watch it though... Be interesting to see how they fit all that information in.

I also think JB did it.

How irritating is the advert for this.. Stephen Graham talking really slowly...
Why do ITV police dramas have to have characters that talk really really slowly.

I knew Jeremy Bamber slightly, and the family. I've always believed he is guilty. I hope this drama doesn't attempt to portray anything different.

I'm currently watching and blown away by how beautiful the actress playing Sheila is. I've just looked her up and it's Cressida Bonas, Prince Harry's former girlfriend. Stunning.

God it was hard to watch when they were finding the bodies.

I absolutely detest the increasing number of TV dramas based on real life crimes where the families and person convicted of the crime are still alive. How is this right, legally? I’m no supporter of Jeremy Bamber and I have no idea whether he’s innocent or guilty, but where dramas are concerned there is too much potential for things to be presented to the audience In a different, more emotive way to how they would have been presented at court.

It’s wrong.

I wish I hadn’t read your comments, I didn’t know anything about it.

Am watching it now.

I live in and was brought up in North Essex. I was 12 when this happened and it was all over the local and national news continuously.

I love Steven Graham usually but my god what was that accent he was trying to do?!

I watched it. I have also read the book years ago.
There are a lot of people who believe bamber is innocent, he has quite a following!
Interested to see how this plays out, thought tonight’s was done well. It was hard to watch the scenes with the twins though. Awful.

My dad was a police officer who worked on the Bamber case. I had just left home as I had got married and I remember my mum phoning as they had only been home a few hours from their holiday abroad when my dad was called straight out. I think he was either a DI or DCI at the time in Scenes of Crime (SOCO). I don’t remember a lot about it to be honest apart from my mum being lonely as I had left and my dad was hardly at home. Strangely my own DH ended up many years later as a DCI in the Major Crime Unit but in a different county and was involved in quite a few high profile murders as the SIO and it was only then I realised it what a lonely life my mum had!

I thought the actual case was horrible but fascinating. The first episode was boring and painfully stilted. The only good thing in it was cressida bonas who is stunning and was rather convincing. Shan't bother watching any others.

Sheila Cafell smoked a lot of pot and did coke, as well as being heavily tranquillised. I'm not saying I blame her, poor woman must have felt terrible, but she was no saint.